MIT Technology Review - insectshttp://www.technologyreview.com/tagged/insects/
en Insect Farming Is Taking Shape as Demand for Animal Feed Riseshttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/529756/insect-farming-is-taking-shape-as-demand-for-animal-feed-rises/
<p>As the world grows hungrier for animal protein, insects could be the new way to feed livestock.</p><p>Most farmers go to great lengths to keep insects at bay. For a growing cadre of livestock and fish producers though, bugs have never been so welcome.</p>Wed, 20 Aug 2014 04:00:00 +0000juniper.friedman529756 at http://www.technologyreview.comIn Vino Veritashttp://www.technologyreview.com/review/414835/in-vino-veritas/
<p>Winemakers disappointed by organic methods have turned to biodynamics as the purest route to wine that’s true to soil, grape, and climate.</p><p>For years the question in winemaking was how technology could make wine better. This was especially true if the wine was Californian. When California cabernet sauvignon bested the best of Bordeaux–in a legendary blind tasting, the “Judgment of Paris,” convened by the English wine merchant Steven ­Spurrier–it was a moment of great national pride at the time of America’s Bicentennial, and it was achieved in part because California winemakers had used technology in ways tradition-bound French winemakers would not. As California wine became respectable, Silicon Valley millionaires bought vineyards in Napa and Sonoma counties. California wine and tech soon enjoyed a happy marriage. </p>Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:00:00 +0000digitalservices414835 at http://www.technologyreview.comThe Army's Remote-Controlled Beetlehttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/411814/the-armys-remote-controlled-beetle/
<p>The insect’s flight path can be wirelessly controlled via a neural implant.</p><p>A giant flower beetle with implanted electrodes and a radio receiver on its back can be wirelessly controlled, according to research presented this week. Scientists at the University of California developed a tiny rig that receives control signals from a nearby computer. Electrical signals delivered via the electrodes command the insect to take off, turn left or right, or hover in midflight. The research, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), could one day be used for surveillance purposes or for search-and-rescue missions. </p>Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0000digitalservices411814 at http://www.technologyreview.comCrops That Shut Down Pests' Geneshttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/408994/crops-that-shut-down-pests-genes/
<p>Monsanto is developing genetically modified plants that use RNA interference to kill the insects that eat them.</p><p>Researchers have created plants that kill insects by disrupting their gene expression. The crops, which initiate a gene-silencing response called RNA interference, are a step beyond existing genetically modified crops that produce toxic proteins. Because the new crops target particular genes in particular insects, some researchers suggest that they will be safer and less likely to have unintended effects than other genetically modified plants. Others warn that it is too early to make such predictions and that the plants should be carefully tested to ensure that they do not pose environmental problems. But most researchers agree that it’s unlikely that eating these plants would have adverse effects on humans.</p>Mon, 05 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0000digitalservices408994 at http://www.technologyreview.com